Blohm
The Blohm & Voss BV 238 was a German flying boat designed in World War II. It was the heaviest aircraft ever flown when it first flew in 1944, and was the largest aircraft produced by any of the Axis powers in World War II. Design The BV 238 V1 prototype, bearing the four-letter Stammkennzeichen (factory radio code) of RO + EZ, first flew on 11 March 1944 after a first jump on 10 March 1944. Six 1,287 kW (1,750 hp) Daimler-Benz DB 603 inverted V12 piston engines were used in total, arranged in three forward-facing engine nacelles on each wing, with each engine's coolant radiator in a chin cowl directly under the engine, bearing an almost identical appearance to those fitted to the Do 217M medium bomber and some examples of the Do 217J night fighter, and possibly were Kraftei, or "power-egg" unitized engine modules. Destruction The sole completed BV 238 was strafed and sunk while docked on Schaalsee. Sources differ in date, the attackers and the attack aircraft used. According to American sources, the BV 238 V1 was strafed and sunk while docked on Schaalsee in September 1944 by three North American P-51 Mustangs of the US 361st Fighter Group. The lead Mustang, "Detroit Miss", was piloted by World War II ace Lieutenant Urban "Ben" Drew, and another was piloted by William D. Rogers. This represented the largest single aircraft to be destroyed during the war. Drew was told after the raid that he had destroyed a [[Blohm & Voss BV 222|BV 222 Wiking]] (another large flying boat). He continued to believe this was the case until he was contacted by the BBC in 1974 for a documentary, and told that their research had determined that the aircraft he had destroyed was actually the BV 238 V1, undergoing flight tests at the seaplane base at Schaal Lake. GOT: The Blohm & Voss BV 238 thread 4245 from The Great Planes and warbirds Community; questions the American claim about the destruction of the aircraft, and reinforces the German version of the destruction. German sources –based in part on the testimony of nearby inhabitants and Blohm & Voss employees– claim that the BV 238 V1 was discovered by the RAF between 23 April and 26 April 1945. The Allies were concerned that Hitler could use it to escape to South America, and so an attack followed shortly afterwards. The aircraft was attacked by Hawker Typhoons, or Hawker Tempests. Their strafing set the engines alight, and the aircraft burnt and sank with only part of a wing remaining above the surface. According to the British, the attack happened on 4 May 1945. During the strafing the back of the flying boat broke and the forward part of the plane sank into the water. Other prototypes Production of two other prototypes was begun but neither was finished. A ¼-scale model of the BV 238 was made during the plane's development for testing. Known as the FGP 227, it made a forced landing during its first flight and did not provide any data to the program. Variants Data from: ;BV 238 V1 : The only completed prototype. ;BV 238-Land :The initial designation for the land-based derivative of the BV 238. ;BV 250 :A land-based derivative of the BV 238 for use as a strategic maritime reconnaissance aircraft and long-range transport Specifications (BV 238A-02 (V6)) |prime units?=met |crew=ca 12 |length m=43.35 |span m=60.17 |height m=12.8 |wing area sqm=360.16 |empty weight kg=54,780 |gross weight kg=90,000 |gross weight note=for reconnaissance mission :::::: for bomber mission |max takeoff weight kg=100,000 |eng1 number=6 |eng1 name=Daimler-Benz DB 603G |eng1 type=inverted V-12 liquid-cooled piston engines |eng1 kw=1,417 |eng1 note=for take-off at |prop blade number=3 |prop name=constant-speed propellers |max speed kmh=350 |max speed note= at weight at sea level ::::::: at at *'Landing speed': 143 km/h (77 kn, 89 mph)Performance data from engineering BV 238 V1 testing. |range km=6,620 |range note= at at at |ceiling m=7,300 |wing loading kg/m2=261 |guns=8 x MG 131 machine guns with 1,800 rpg; 4 in each nose and tail turret ::8 x MG 131 machine guns with 900 rpg; 4 in each wing mounted turret ::4 x MG 131 machine guns with 500 rpg; 2 in each manually aimed beam position ::2 x MG 151/20 machine guns with 1,400 rpg in forward dorsal turret |bombs= 20 x SC 250 bombs in wing bomb bays ::and 4 x SC 1000 bombs on external racks ::or' 2 x LD 1200 torpedoes on external racks ::''or 4 x Henschel Hs 293 missiles on external racks ::or 2 x BV 143 glide bombs on external racks }} See also * [[Blohm & Voss BV 222|Blohm & Voss BV 222 Wiking]] * Kawanishi H8K Emily * Martin JRM Mars * Short Shetland * List of World War II military aircraft of Germany * List of seaplanes and amphibious aircraft References ;Notes ;Bibliography * * Green, William. Warplanes of the Second World War, Volume Five: Flying Boats. London: Macdonald & Co. (Publishers) Ltd., 1962 (5th impression 1972). ISBN 0-356-01449-5. * Green, William. Warplanes of the Third Reich. London: Macdonald and Jane's Publishers Ltd., 1970 (4th impression 1979). ISBN 0-356-02382-6. * Krzyźan, Marian. Blohm & Voss BV 222 & BV 238 (Monografie Lotnicze 29) (in Polish). Gdańsk, Poland: AJ-Press, 1996. ISBN 83-86208-47-3. * Nowarra, Heinz J. (translated by Don Cox) Blohm & Voss Bv 222 "Wiking" - Bv 238. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Military History, 1997. ISBN 0-7643-0295-7. (Translation of the German original Luftgiganten über See: BV 222 Viking - BV 238. Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas Verlag GmbH, 1980. ISBN 3-7909-0124-5.) * Smith, John Richard; Anthony L. Kay and Eddie J. Creek. German Aircraft of the Second World War. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1972(3rd impression 1978). ISBN 0-370-00024-2. * Wagner, Ray and Nowarra, Heinz. German Combat Planes: A Comprehensive Survey and History of the Development of German Military Aircraft from 1914 to 1945. New York: Doubleday, 1971. * Winchester, Jim. The World's Worst Aircraft. New York: Amber Books, 2005. ISBN 0-7607-8714-X. External links * Blohm & Voss Bv 238 - "Der Stolz von Seedorf" - 1944 das größte Flugboot - in German and must be purchased to be read. * Warbird Resource Group BV 238 Category:1940s German military transport aircraft Category:Flying boats Category:Six-engined tractor aircraft Category:High-wing aircraft